OC Owens Corning Inc

Remodelers Say Cultured Stone(R) Products Are Most Preferred SAN FRANCISCO, May 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Owens Corning (NYSE:OC) Cultured Stone(R) is the nation's most recognized, most used and highest quality brand of manufactured stone veneer, according to the results of the 2007 Brand Use Study by BUILDER magazine and the 2006 survey by Masonry Construction. Additionally, the 2006 Remodeling magazine reader panel ranked Cultured Stone(R) as the most preferred manufactured stone product for exterior siding. The results of these surveys are just a few of the many reasons the Cultured Stone(R) brand lays claim to the tagline The Preferred Name In Stone(TM). Chuck Stein, president of Owens Corning Cultured Stone(R), credits the high ratings to the company's wide range of product offerings and more than 40 year history of providing quality products. "We offer more than 21 textures, more than 100 colors and meet over a dozen of the strictest code requirements, which gives users a vast array of design options," he said. "When you combine quality and choice, you're going to have a winning product." The Cultured Stone(R) brand led the pack in each of the categories surveyed by both Builder and Masonry Construction magazine. Survey results showed the following: BUILDER Masonry Construction Cultured Avg. of next Cultured Avg. of next Stone(R) two leading Stone(R) two leading competitors competitors Brand Familiarity 55% 35.5% 56% 42.5% Brands Used in Past 2 Years 34% 15% 41% 30% Brands Used the Most 24% 7.5% * Not asked * Quality Rating 4.08 3.98 4.12 3.75 For eight consecutive years, those participating in the BUILDER study have selected Cultured Stone(R) manufactured stone as the brand most recognized and most used. Cultured Stone(R) products top the list in quality and, since 2002, more builders have used it than the next two brands combined. Remodeling readers' choice respondents were asked only one question. Those who took the survey chose Cultured Stone(R) veneers more than three times as often as the next leading producers of manufactured stone with 46 percent of the votes. Cultured Stone(R) products also lead the category in code approval which is particularly important as more local and state municipalities are increasing their expectations on code requirements. Of the more than one hundred manufacturers of stone veneer, Owens Corning Cultured Stone(R) is among the five percent that have universal building code approval or AC-51 approval as reported by the ICC Evaluation Service, a third party reporting agency. AC-51 is one of the most stringent sets of criteria in the industry and means Cultured Stone(R) products meet more than a dozen specific requirements which range from characteristics of the ingredients to size and shape of individual pieces and compressive strength to flexural measurements. Cultured Stone(R) also offers accessories such as trim stones, capstones, hearthstones and patio pavers. The Owens Corning Cultured Brick(R) line of thin brick veneer is available in ten colors. Owens Corning (NYSE:OC) is a world leader in building materials systems and composite solutions. A Fortune 500 company for more than 50 years, Owens Corning people redefine what is possible each day to deliver high-quality products and services ranging from insulation, roofing, siding and manufactured stone veneer, to glass composite materials used in transportation, electronics, telecommunications and other high-performance applications. Founded in 1938, Owens Corning is a market-leading innovator of glass fiber technology with sales of $6.5 billion in 2006 and 19,000 employees in 26 countries. Additional information is available at http://www.owenscorning.com/. *Note: All three surveys were sponsored by Hanley Wood Publishing, LLC. Copyright (C) 2007 Owens Corning Cultured Stone(R) is a registered trademark of Owens Corning DATASOURCE: Owens Corning CONTACT: Media, Kerry Desberg, +1-419-248-5939, or Heidi Hall, +1-704- 323-4444, ext. 4438, both for Owens Corning Web site: http://www.owenscorning.com/

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